Kolkata-based law student and social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli has become the centre of an international controversy following her arrest over a video containing communally sensitive remarks and criticism of Bollywood actors. The arrest has drawn criticism not only from Indian political circles but also internationally, with Dutch MP Geert Wilders openly supporting her and calling the detention a “disgrace for the freedom of speech.”

Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom in the Netherlands and a long-time critic of radical Islam, came out in support of Panoli in a post on X. “Free the brave Sharmishta Panoli! It’s a disgrace for the freedom of speech that she was arrested. Don’t punish her for speaking the truth about Pakistan and Muhammad. Help her @narendramodi,” he posted, with the now-viral image captioned “All eyes on Sharmishta.”

Wilders’ intervention mirrors his past support for former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, whom he defended during the controversy over her remarks on the Prophet Muhammad.

ALSO READ: Stolen In Dubai, Found In Pakistan: British YouTuber Hunts Down His Lost AirPods In Real Life Mission | Social Media Goes Frenzy

Arrest Over Communal Remarks Sparks Backlash

Sharmishta Panoli, 22, was arrested by Kolkata Police based on an FIR lodged against her for using communally charged language in a video where she also slammed Bollywood celebrities for not speaking out after Operation Sindoor, a counterstrike by India following a terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.

Panoli deleted the video and issued a public apology. The FIR accused her of promoting enmity, hurting religious sentiments, and provoking breach of peace under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police officials said they had made multiple attempts to contact her, but after she allegedly went incommunicado, a court-issued arrest warrant led to her detention from Gurugram on Friday night.

ALSO READ: Xi Jinping’s Daughter Secretly Living In US? Trump Ally’s Viral Post Demands Action: Know All About Her

Judicial Custody And Political Reactions

Panoli was presented before an Alipore court on Saturday, where her bail plea was denied, and she was remanded to judicial custody until June 13. A student of Symbiosis International University, she has 85,000 followers on X and over 90,000 on Instagram.

Her arrest has triggered strong reactions from BJP leaders, who argue that her public apology and removal of the video should have been sufficient. They accuse the authorities of selectively targeting her while ignoring other inflammatory content online.